Posts Tagged ‘Retailing’

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Amazon runs huge product warehouses. In fact, there are now 24 of these massive distribution centers world-wide, stocking everything from CDs to bicycle tires.

The online retailer moves 3-times as much product through these warehouses than it’s next closes competitor.

Over 40% of the products that move through the supply system are sold by merchants other than Amazon itself. There are over 1.3 million suppliers who provide the products that are for sale on Amazon.com and through these other merchants.

When consumers  rank the trusted technology companies for privacy, they usually put Amazon in the top 5.

In 2009 PartyWeDo was looking for an e-commerce partner for the gift party application, AlbinoPhant. The natural choice was Amazon.

Amazon works great for a gift merchandising application because of their massive selection and top-notch customer service.

The gift exchange system uses a level pricing system for each custom AlbinoPhant marketplace. Each host selects the level at which their invitees will spend for the gift and the AlbinoPhant software sorts through the Amazon Warehouse to display products in that pricing category.

PartyWeDo hired the Utah based e-commerce software firm Gyrofly, to build the special interface that would allow each party guest to pay one price and cover the cost of the gift, the shipping and the fun.

The resulting markets are filled with thousands of gifts that can be used to share in the fun of a Yankee Swap or White Elephant Gift Exchange.

When any gift is selected from one of the AlinoPhant markets, it is identified by a unique number. This number allows us to use the image of the gift during the game play period and also ship the correct item from the Amazon warehouse to the correct players doorstep.

This system allows the virtual world of the internet to marry seamlessly with the real world of gift shopping and delivery.

All of these marvelous technologies and efficient shipping systems allow family and friends to purchase gifts, share them online and then receive a present at their home.

Thank you Amazon, for joining the party!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

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The success of Facebook is rooted in the conversational flow between friends and family. This network has become a mimic of many of our traditional human interactions and is now exploring ideas beyond just talk.

There is a movement afoot to move some commercialization onto this conversational superhighway, and the jury is still out whether it will add to the experience or create a road littered with potholes.

In a recent discussion on the merits of e-commerce stores on the Facebook highway, Shiv Singh, vice president and global social media lead at Razorfish. suggested that, “e-commerce activities should be presented in ways that don’t intrude on the conversational flow of Facebook.”

We agree with Mr. Singh that a social superhighway cluttered with billboards and shopping malls will disrupt the flow. But we believe there is value in providing e-commerce real estate when it enhances the personal interaction and makes the conversation grow.

The discussion focused on a coffee merchandiser who is moving an e-commerce operation onto a Facebook page. Michael Straus, spokesman for the coffee company suggested that they were “looking to integrate its social media strategy with e-commerce”.

It could be augured that coffee shops are a regular landmark along any highway and are also recognized conversational hubs. So coffee shops might be a good idea for Facebook users.

But what other retail shops would make the social road more enjoyable?

Another thought leader was concerned with the idea of selling stuff on Facebook. Mike Lazerow, CEO of Buddy Media said, “People aren’t using Facebook right now to buy stuff”. “They use it to talk to friends, see pictures, play games, learn about new products, connect with companies and products that they love.” He suggested that this mindset might eventually change as shopping opportunities become part of the typical Facebook experience.

Direct selling on Facebook is very new, but so far, most agree that the key is to make the activity a part of the conversational format that attracts users to the experience.

We support Mr. Lazerow’s contention that friends, pictures and games are the conversational resources that currently fuel the Facebook engine. We understand that any e-commerce application should be a good fit for the road, or should stay off the highway.

We suggest that gift shops are a good fit and will be common on the social networks in the near future. These e-commerce stores will be stocked games and group activities that will allow real gifts to become a part of the conversation and the support among family and friends.

In that day, the Facebook experience will include established online gift merchants who support the birthdays, weddings, baby births and holidays that are shared by every conversationalist on the road.

The social highways will be full of large motor homes filled with groups enjoying a fun game and some real gifts that they picked up at the roadside gift store.

How do you see e-commerce merging onto Facebook?

Thanks to enchantedhighway.net for the image. (you should visit this place and see the huge metal sculptures)

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Hosting any event requires determination and ingenuity. We appreciate the efforts of a party host who takes the time and energy to pull off a great social experiences.

We really give a tip of our hat to the host who goes the extra mile to make the party memorable for everyone involved. It is amazing how even the small differences can make a huge change in the level of fun and engagement at the party. It is the host’s responsibility to find the “little extra” that will turn the party into a social explosion.

One of the galvanizing aspects of any group event involves joining attendees together in a common activity, like a party game. These activities are proven social bonding tools that turn mundane events into great social experiences.

Our family uses the gift exchange format to add a spark to our gift giving parties and create unity. But this year we went a bit further and added just another dimension to the fun.

On the day of our Christmas Eve party we invited all of the attendees to meet us at the local Goodwill store, just before coming to the event. We suggested that if they had not purchased a gift for the exchange, that this would be a good time to find the perfect present…

But we had another surprise in mind.

We asked everyone to shop for a silly hat to wear to the party, and it would be our treat.

The hat selection was fabulous and the variety was amazing ( it is interesting to realize that someone paid retail for some of these at one time!). The store was soon filled with laughter as our guests discovered hats and then modeled them for anyone who would pay attention to them.
Down several isles of the store walked grown men with furry or floppy hats, still displaying the price tags. Women that were trying on hard hats and football helmets were giggling like school kids.

The party had started at Goodwill and the excitement was spreading.

The regular store customers and clerks were entertained by this odd display, and our guests were getting into a very festive mood. We didn’t even need to ask the group to continue wearing the hats as they made their way up to the checkout, they just kept them on and delighted the other shoppers.

These unusual hats became the uniform for our party and added a social-glue among the participants of the evening’s activities.

The hats cost about $2.00 a piece, but their value as a group bonding tool was priceless. It created a memorable event for those who attended.

We take our hat off to the host who takes the extra steps to build a better party experience for family and friends.

What have you done to add something extra.?

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

White elephant eCommerce on Facebook

There is a growing feeling that Facebook and other social properties will begin to join forces with online retailers to sell real products on their networks.
In fact when Catharine Taylor asked thought leaders to consider what is ahead for 2010, John Dudley, an editor at Hampden-Sydney College suggested that “At least one major retailer will develop an e-commerce Facebook app that will replace its entire “traditional” e-commerce Web site.

What does this really mean?
Can it mean that retailers will just increase their efforts by beefing up their fan page or throwing up some additional advertising on the walls?

No.. Mr Dudley is suggesting that e-commerce will move an actual sales channel into Facebook. This effort would require that a retailer build a storefront on the Facebook super highway. With a social network based store, users could stop and shop without leaving the Facebook system. They could use their regular profile, their recognized PayPal account and have UPS deliver the goods to their door. They would find shopping and sharing with distant family and friends a seamless experience.

What type of retailer would take that risk?
We suggest that gift merchants are the perfect group for the move toward an e-commerce/Facebook partnership, and here is why:

* Gift giving among family and friends sends about $115 Billion dollars into cash registers every year, in just the US alone.

* The concept of sharing gifts (virtual, at least) in Facebook is not a new concept, so selling real gifts through this space is not a giant leap.

* Facebook users have demonstrated that they want to stay connected and supportive to even the most distant contacts.

* Established affiliate sales systems provide the framework to track and administer the sales efforts.

Adding to this concept of e-commerce on social networks, a year end discussion on advertising trends suggest that; “Social media will provide a new sales channel for establishing product awareness and commercializing brands to better support traditional advertising or text-based ads”.
The keyword in this statement is the mention of a new sales channel, supported by advertising and other internet based tools. The integration of retail sales and online tools will provide the wise e-commerce pioneers with a head start into this emerging opportunity.

Which e-commerce retailer could take advantage of this emerging trend?
Amazon should be on the list, and so should Ebay. But Wal-Mart or Target could make a big move with this effort as well. Then there is Buy.com, Overstock.com and other 2nd tier online retailers, who might be looking for some differentiation from the big dogs in e-commerce.

It might be interesting to explore the possibility that an e-commerce retailer could use an engaging Facebook application to assist in gathering family and friends together to purchase gifts and share with each other.

We really like this idea…!!!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

Black Friday is behind us and we are awaiting the numbers from the retailers. One thing that is certain, the online gift purchase is the “New Cool” in many households, and I think that I know why…

Sarah and I braved the crowds in one retailer yesterday for just two items. It was an experience that I can add to my been-there-done-that list! After a 3am start with the lines at the store and in the parking lot… I want to be one of the cool-kids who shop online.

That experience is why I agree with the Marketing Charts blog survey; that online gift shopping is cool.

The survey reports that “85% of web-shoppers say that the primary reason for shopping online is still time savings.” In fact, “last year was the first year that the web surpassed the store as the preferred way for multi-channel shoppers to purchase holiday gifts.”

As the gift purchasing public continues to shift toward the convenience and variety of the ecommerce world, the social networks will play a larger roll. Combining the “Cool” of the networks, like Facebook and Twitter with the trend of online shopping, should create great retail opportunities in the future.

The marketing study found that “social networking sites will influence shopping behavior for 37% of online shoppers vs. 24% last year.” These numbers would indicate that by adding the friend to friend influence of social networks and hot-links out to retailers, the cool-crowd of online shoppers will continue to expand.

As the trend toward online gift purchasing grows, so does the list of gift-selling facilitators. Entrepreneurs are building applications that allow social networking friends to influence others into the online buying experience. A growing group of links between Amazon, Facebook and PayPal are allowing developers to facilitate these purchasing interactions between friends.

The new mimics of traditional off-line activities like gift parties are providing ways for the network of friends to make shopping online even more fun.

So in 2009 the cool kids are moving the rest of us toward the convenience of online gift shopping. Combine this pressure, with the growing number of businesses that want to assist us to make the move, and 2010 looks hot for online gift sales.

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

We just discovered a great way to share the holidays with your customers, if you are a retailer….  Host a gift swap party at your store…

Caroline Rose-Kerr is the owner of Knit ‘n Knibble, a specialty yarn and knitting store in Tampa, Florida, and she does just that…

Every year she hosts a gift swap party before the holidays. At 6:30pm, after the store is closed, she opens up for a party. She uses her blog, store signs and customer lists to invite people to the event.

Her rules for the party are pretty simple:
Bring a wrapped fiber related gift valued at no more than $25 to the party (arrive before 6pm please).  Drop your wrapped package at the counter and pick up a number.  At 6:30, we’ll begin unwrapping…  The person with #1 opens a gift and sits waiting.  #2 then gets to choose between what has already been opened and the surprises in the wrapped packages.  And it goes on…

Because the Knit ‘n Knibble is a fiber retailer, Caroline requires that the white elephant party carries a fiber theme.

If you are an auto parts retailer, use a car theme. A pet supplier should suggest that all the gifts relate to pets. This could work for almost any store…  You could even add simple party favors that also relate to your theme, or give out door prizes.

You don’t need to enforce or suggest any “only bring gifts from my store” rule, but most of your satisfied customers will probably find something in your shop to share at the party..

You should provide decorations around the theme and some refreshments to add to the party atmosphere. You could probably be clever and use some of your display items in the decorations as suggestions for future purchases.

Treat this like a customer appreciation event and leave the hard-selling to another time.

Thanks to Caroline for a great idea to nibble upon.  Plan a Yankee Swap party at your store to knit closer customer relations and greater holiday fun!

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Princess Phant
Daughter of the King of Burma
Caretaker of the AlbinoPhant Parties